White chocolate, lemon & thyme Paris-Brest

1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC, gas mark 5 and line two baking trays with parchment. To make the choux pastry, heat 60ml water with the milk, butter, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Add all the flour and stir continuously until the dough comes together. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to stir the dough for another minute.

2. Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl to cool slightly. Beat the eggs together in a small jug and pour them into the dough a little at a time, beating the mixture well with an electric whisk or wooden spoon after each addition. You may not need to add all the egg – the mixture should be glossy with a consistency that holds a ‘V’ shape when the wooden spoon is lifted from the bowl.

3. Transfer the dough to a piping bag with an open star nozzle and pipe 8 rings, 8-10cm in diameter, onto the trays, leaving space between each ring. Sprinkle the flaked almonds on top, then bake for 25-27 minutes until they are a deep golden brown. Leave them in the oven with the door ajar for 15 minutes to cool and let any moisture escape.

4. To make the filling, gently heat the cream and thyme in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat, cover and let it steep for 15 minutes. Remove the thyme leaves and reheat the cream until just below boiling. Pour it over the chocolate in a bowl and let it sit for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth. Allow the ganache to cool and thicken slightly to a spreadable consistency. You can speed this along in the fridge but be careful not to let it get too firm. Beat the ganache briefly with an electric whisk until it’s pale and fluffy – take care not to over-whip or it may become grainy. Transfer to a piping bag with a plain round nozzle.

5. To assemble, slice each choux pastry in half with a serrated knife. Fill a piping bag with the lemon curd and snip off a small hole in the end. Pipe a ring of curd in the base of each choux and then pipe on the whipped ganache. Top with some fresh thyme leaves before placing on the choux lid and dusting with a little icing sugar. Serve immediately.